Institute for Crisis Management Releases 2021 Annual Crisis Report

South Bend, IN, August 12, 2022 --(PR.com)-- “For the second year in a row, sudden crisis stories outnumbered smoldering crisis stories in the news according to the Institute for Crisis Management® (ICM). It was another unprecedented year in the results of our research,” said Deborah Hileman, SCMP, President and CEO. “Data showed interesting shifts in the kinds of events that garnered headlines across the globe.” In 2021, ICM tracked 2,275,427 crisis news items, nearly a half-million more than 2020.

The 2021 ICM Annual Crisis Report is a compilation of news, trends and highlights of those industries that were most prone to crisis during the year, giving leaders valuable insight into the impact crises have on the organization, the industry and stakeholders. According to the report, the catastrophes category again took the top spot at 36.6% of all news items tracked, followed by whistleblowers, consumerism/activism and executive dismissals.

“Even absent pandemic headlines, the volume of negative stories in the media last year tell us that organizations continue to be challenged with crisis preparedness. Too many boards of directors remain disengaged and executives fail to invest in affordable and much-needed crisis planning efforts,” she said. Hileman urges leaders to invest in comprehensive crisis management and communication planning and training to prepare, prevent and mitigate the kinds of crises that impact an organization’s reputation, brand, business and financial performance. “Prepare and prevent, or you will have to repair and repent,” she said.

About the ICM Annual Crisis Report
ICM was founded with the belief that research is a vital underpinning to effective crisis management and communication. The firm has been producing this annual report since its founding more than thirty years ago. The report is a popular tool with professionals ranging from executives to academics, and has been cited in numerous reports, articles and white papers over the years.

Visit the ICM website at https://crisisconsultant.com for a free report download and to register for an upcoming online Crisis Communication Management Course. Two classes remain for 2021, in September and November.